


Predator

by mjoInir



Series: The Cosmic Chronicles [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Baggage, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Flashbacks of trauma, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-15 08:41:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17525438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjoInir/pseuds/mjoInir
Summary: Nicole Moore knew Bruce Banner forever ago, it seems - they had been brief college sweethearts. But after an incident steals Nicole away, they had not been in contact.Of course, not until S.H.I.E.L.D. decided to recruit them both to help look for the now missing Tesseract.





	1. Pyra

**Author's Note:**

> In relation to the other stories, this would take place after/during Of Stars and Sorcery. All stories within the Cosmic Chronicles can stand alone, but they all take place within the same universe. Feedback is most welcome!

The concrete was hard beneath her feet, the black converse she was wearing slapped against the ground as she ran. Naturally, Nicole Moore was not a very good sprinter, but overall panic and adrenaline can make a person do things they're not normally capable of doing.

She supposed being chased by the cops was not in any way a normal occurrence for her. She tended to steer clear of those in power, frankly, because they made her nervous. Everyone had an end game and she certainly wanted no part of it.

The air was thick and humid — the air between the high-rise buildings was unnaturally stuffy. The drips from air conditioners up in the windows of the towering buildings fell down like a sticky rain as she ran down the sidewalk.

Her breathing came unevenly, harshly even; she was in no way an athletic individual. 

Nicole searched for an escape, finding her heart beginning to pump faster, blood boiling hotter. City alley ways were no safe haven — they would only have her cornered and then arrested.

Cops, much like everyone else, were not at all fond of mutants, and most of the enhanced. Unfortunately, she had been one of them — ever since her "little" incident back in '04.

Nicole had been trying to save people from a street thug, but the cops' attention immediately turned to her after her use of fire. Perhaps it had not been the best course of action, but no one had been shot.

However, now Nicole was racing down busy city streets, dodging cars and pedestrians to be able to get away.

There was a push in the back of her mind, followed by a sting of pain in the center of her head. Like claws scratching at a steel door, but the marks quickly faded away and the pain dissipated. It made her heart jolt in panic — fear of losing control.

A monster could only be contained for so long before they ripped away at the bars that held them captive. Two years of pushing and pushing it away; of double checking to make sure the door was locked; of double checking to see if the cage in her mind would continue to contain such a beast.

To confess that she was terrified would put a dent in the door — and she could not afford to give Predator the advantage. She had named her years ago, after the escape, because calling her "it" had become exhausting. She fed upon the weak, her mind merciless and her rage unyielding.

Making a quick turn down a side street, seeing no one around, Nicole slid behind a dumpster to keep herself hidden. She desperately tried to keep her breathing calm and quiet, but it came harsh, loud and uneven. She had to use her hand to try to silence some of the noise.

Nicole would have to wait them out, and although they hadn't seen much of her features besides her blonde hair and her height, she decided not to risk it. It was moments like these that she understood why mutants, and the enhanced, usually did nothing when it came to crimes, they simply decided to become bystanders, normal citizens. If there was even a hint that someone had some type of power, they were looked at more closely than a criminal.

And Nicole found that unnerving.

* * *

Waiting through that dreadful hour behind a dumpster felt like a tiny forever to Nicole. She looked through her phone to check the news, see if any mutants were being followed by the police.

Only one. Pyra, they had coined her. A mutant with a certain affliction with fire. She rolled her eyes but continued through the article.

Police had given up their pursuit, and began to focus on more "pressing matters", like the protests that were happening all over Manhattan for mutant (and enhanced) rights.

Nicole decided to go up the fire escape and wait until it got darker. She hated waiting, each minute feeling like an hour.

Her thoughts raced back to the article, where they were calling her a "no good hero" because mutants weren't necessarily wanted. But she did not want to be a hero. That would open the door to too much risk involving the monster in her head.


	2. Oddities

Nicole made her way home quickly after the sun began to set. She hoped the police had given up the hunt; she knew it was unlikely that the other criminal had been caught, since the officers were so focused on her. It was a shame. She prayed to whatever was out there that the man wouldn't bring anyone else any harm.

Her apartment was only a one bedroom, as her job certainly wasn't going to make her rich anytime soon. Plus, it was Manhattan — decent places weren't cheap. Nicole could barely afford any luxuries, most weeks she only had just enough for rent, groceries, her subway fares, and utilities.

Manhattan Water Company wasn't necessarily a bad job, per se. It had good benefits, and it wasn't all that hard to attain a clerk job. Because of the fact that she had been kidnapped back in 2004, she had been unable to graduate Harvard with her PhD in Biology and Biomedical Engineering. She planned to later study Biochemistry or Nuclear Physics, with the help of a good friend back then, but then a month before graduation, she was taken.

Her old life, with plans of a white picket fence future was well behind her. She feared returning to college to finish her degrees because she feared them finding her again.

Even since waking up on that Rhode Island beach covered in blood after her escape, she knew she would never be able to lead a normal life. She knew she couldn't pursue any dream jobs working in medical or research fields, she would have to lay low.

Predator was a monster that desired primary control and she tested Nicole at every turn — and Nicole was desperate to cure the monster within. She owned a small storage unit she worked in whenever she was free, researching anything that could lead to getting rid of Predator.

Nicole retired to her bed late into the night, head clouded with news articles and stress from the uncertainty of if the police would find her. Stress weakened her control over the locks in her head that detained the beast.

* * *

A blaring alarm woke her, bringing her back to her reality after a considerably deep slumber. She knew she was going to have to get out of bed and get ready for work, but she laid still.

Thoughts haunted her constantly and consistently; of the baby she never got to hold, of the man she would never see again, of the life she could never have. She hated living in fear of another appearance of the beast, or even worse, of being discovered yet again by those mad scientists who had made her the way she was.

There was no way to off herself — she only has such thoughts on those really dark days — because the monster within had made hurting herself nearly impossible. Predator usually emerged in those scenarios and that just wasn't worth it.

Nicole was slow to get to her feet and into the shower, where the hot water woke her slowly. She could never quite stand cold or lukewarm water, even her drinks — unless she needed to cool down, then she didn't mind ice cold drinks. This was probably all stemming from the particular experiment that altered the cells in her body, which were a little different to begin with. Probably why she didn't die, because her cells healed fast enough to keep her alive.

She clicked on her television to listen to the news while she readied breakfast. Eggs and sausage, quick enough to prepare and eat — but Nicole loved breakfast (like pancakes or waffles or crepes or donuts or literally any breakfast food). She remembered breakfast dates back in college on cool Cambridge mornings in a little cafe that was quiet and also great for study dates. The memories made her smile, but then ultimately made her sad.

There was no mention of the vigilante Pyra on any of the news stations, much to Nicole's hopes and she relaxed a little. Mistakes could not be made, not in this life.

After finishing her daily routine, Nicole prepared her coffee in a travel mug, adding chocolate syrup and stirring slightly. She sipped it the scalding liquid, grabbing her keys. Her phone buzzed with an unknown number, but assuming it was a dumb telemarketer, she declined the call and headed out the door.

Her walk to work was her only form of daily exercise, as any other free time was spent in her makeshift lab in the tiny storage unit.

Upon entering the building, she left her purse in her locker and carried her coffee to her desk. She already had a list of clientele that would be by to either make their purchase or fill out a form for a purchase. Most was done over the phone and then delivered, but smaller orders typically were fulfilled directly through the building. She had a pile of delivery forms she had to finish and send out, and some other paperwork. She typically did this, as well as answer phones, like the two other clerks.

"Hey, good morning, Nicole," said Lisa, passing by her desk.

Nicole glanced up with a smile, "Morning, Lisa,"

Lisa was really the only person Nicole could call a friend. They didn't hang out exceedingly often, but they went out occasionally, to bars (although Nicole never really drank alcohol, in fear of losing control) or cafes. The only other people Nicole talked to were the other tenants in her building and her landlord.

"Did you see the news last night?"

"I fell asleep early," Nicole told her friend, although it was mostly a lie.

"Well, this enhanced person — they were calling her Pyra! — helped stop this mugging. But the police seemed more interested in her," Lisa rolled her eyes, but then she smiled. "Think she knows Iron Man?"

Nicole shrugged, "I doubt it, but you never know."

Lisa nodded, "Wouldn't that be cool? To meet Tony Stark? Talk about dreams coming true."

Nicole chuckled, Lisa was a major fan of Iron Man. She frequently swooned over his public appearances and was always up-to-date on the news about the billionaire.

The phone rang, cutting their conversation short and Nicole picked it up, falling into the humdrum routine of work.

* * *

Work had been normal all day, up until the point where two people asked just to see the products and assess it. They asked Nicole specifically to show them, and it was a very odd request. Usually the snobby people asked to taste the water before they bought it, and sure, that was uncommon, but still strange. The man was older than the woman, with a receding hairline and the woman was a little bit younger than she, with a pretty blue pants suit. Nicole came to wonder the relationship. Business partners? Either way, they left with only a form and a promise to consider their company.

Lisa exchanged a raised eyebrow with Nicole once she sat back down at her desk, to which Nicole just shrugged.

After her shift, Nicole started home, stopping to get Chinese takeout. On the final stretch to her apartment, she felt the sudden eeriness that she was being followed.

Predator shifted inside Nicole, attention settled on their surroundings. Nicole had the fear of it getting loose, but the beast's focus seemed less on escape and more on Nicole's panic about being followed.

She quickened her pace and made it to her door unscathed, but she was quick to lock her door behind her. She changed into more comfortable clothing, and sat down in front of her television to eat her dinner.

As she was cleaning up, there was a knock on her door. Confused, she made her way to glance through the keyhole and noticed it was the two odd people from earlier that day.


End file.
